1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup method, and a recording medium for performing pixel shifts and generating high-quality combined image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed a technique for combining a plurality of image data, which are acquired by performing pixel shifts with a movement amount non-integer times as large as a pixel pitch, and generating high-quality combined image data. As a specific example, there has been known a technique for sequentially performing pixel shifts in a basic unit of 0.5 pixel pitch in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, acquiring eight images in different image pickup positions, and combining the acquired eight images to thereby generate high-resolution combined image data having double resolution in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction compared with one image.
In such techniques, it is necessary to highly accurately execute pixel shifts among a plurality of images to be combined. Further, consistency is required among the plurality of images.
Therefore, a user checks an acquired combined image and, when the combined image is not an image having desired image quality, performs re-photographing according to necessity.
In the re-photographing led by the user, the user needs to, for example, check the combined image and perform operation for the re-photographing. Therefore, as an automation technique for reducing a burden on the user, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H7-177424 describes a technique for detecting vibration in pixel shift photographing and repeatedly performing re-exposure until a necessary number of images suitable for combination are photographed.